Events

Homeless Burials

It has been stated that a nation will not be judged by its power and wealth, but rather by how it treats the most vulnerable and poor. It could also be said that while the jury is still out on exactly how much care is provided to these people, especially the homeless, we can definitely report the options for homeless burials that are dignified and meaningful are improving.

This is especially true because so many organizations have increased their outreach to these marginalized citizens.

One such organization, Leaves of Remembrance, part of America’s Homeless Remembrance Project, has been providing these very services for nearly a decade. This coalition of collaborators ranging from the homeless themselves to members of society such as faith leadership, artists, and service providers have one specific goal. That is to ensure the homeless who have died are not forgotten.

But Leaves of Remembrance also works to serve those who are grieving the homeless who have passed on. The idea, they say, is based upon a belief that it is just as important to honor the memory of those that have been lost and those who lived alongside them in life.

Homeless Burials Around the World

Across the globe organizations and even governmental agencies are looking to provide respectful final passage rites for the indigent. In Copenhagen, for example, there is space set aside in select cemeteries for them to be laid to rest.

Some countries even provide emergency funds for those who cannot afford a funeral service. And many funeral homes provide very cost-effective options as well. Even so, more often than not, in many places these people are often buried in basic grave sites commonly referred to as a pauper’s grave.

There are also many other ways that the Homeless Remembrance Project and others have been working to raise awareness of this growing need. We salute them all!